The Truth

They deserve to know. Of course, they do, most especially with the launching of the book written by one of your members. They deserve to know. You just don't want them to read the book alone. You don't want them to cry alone when they read the book. You want them to know it's real and that there's always healing at the end if one should stay on the healing journey.

You mount the pulpit and smile at your people, God's own people in your hands, you smile at the past years, the troubling days of exasperation and shame, the excruciating hours of guilt and pain.

You lock eyes with your wife and smile at her, a sigh of gratitude escaping your lips to her direction. She gets the message and nods at you.

"It's a wonderful day. A beautiful one at that and it's wonderful to see you again in church, family.

When I was in my third year in the university, an event happened that haunted me for years. It was an act of overconfidence that got me into the situation where I entered the world of pornography and masturbation.

Now, my own situation was funny. You know this thing they say about masturbation and pornography that the victim will start seeing the opposite gender as objects of sexual pleasure, not having a balanced view of how to treat them all?

In my own case, I protect them. Any female around me was sure to have me as big brother figure. 

I watched porn videos in a friend's room and the scenes kept replaying in my head. To satisfy the demand, I started downloading the videos and all and that was how the journey began.

For three years, I was in this wilderness, allowing the reefs to direct me anywhere it wanted. I wasn't in control anymore. Every attempt and efforts to get out proved abortive.

A worker in church, a child of God, a tongue speaking brother deep in the snares of pornography and masturbation."

You look at the congregation again. They're spellbound. You can see them waiting to hear, waiting to hear the journey of how you escaped the wilderness. At the moment, the book launching ceremony is the last thing on their minds. 

They want to listen to you. They want to listen to this man.

"The Bible says flee from all appearances of evil. Out of overconfidence, I didn't flee. No, I sat majestically in front of the television, not protesting or objecting to the scenes. I watched them.

You know the beautiful thing about God? It's the fact that no matter how lost you think you are, you're not too lost to be brought back. And if God should sit on your matter, my brother, forget it.

I had my days of tears, days of shame, days of making promises that I didn't fulfill, days I wanted everything to end but it didn't end until I got on a journey.

A long journey of how God held my hand and walked me through the wilderness. It's been twelve years of taking that journey and I can say God is good.  

I don't want to share much because I can see you're forgetting that we have a beautiful book to launch.

All I'm trying to tell you is that this book is not just a story, it's real. Addictions are not fables. They're real. Temptations are not fallacies. They're real and if you are unlucky to get in the snare, coming out might be difficult except you have extra help. 

When you read this book, let your mind be opened. See, understand, beware. And yes, I will continue the story of my healing journey next week if you read the book during the week and give a summary and your take home points. 

You can drop the summary on the church WhatsApp group. 

So, we're here to launch......"

Your eyes drift to the direction of your wife again and you smile. It's really worth it.